Jack D'Or | Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

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Notes / Commercial Description:
“Jack D’Or” is a simple table beer, or “Saison Americain” as we’re referring to it. We are not trying to coin a beer style – we’re just having fun. The Jack D’Or (pronounced “Jack Door”), is at the very center of Pretty Things and nearly three years on we’re still pleased as punch that he joined us!

As you know, PRETTY THINGS doesn’t brew “styles” per se. Close, but we re-imagine everything and leave the style numbers in books on the shelves where they belong. What that means is that while other people might be able to put our beers into a category, we have a hard time with it! Our beers are first and foremost creative beasts, not “types” of beer. Jack D’Or is the kind of beer Martha and Dann like to drink before, after and during a great meal. Heck, we’ll drink this sort of beer any time.

On Dann & Martha’s honeymoon in France and Belgium they stashed quite a few cases of Wallonian beer into their trunk. Every night after setting up their tent they’d cook lardons and lentils on a camp stove and enjoy fresh “saison” under the stars.

Inspired by some of our favorites like Saison DuPont, but also DeRanke’s XX Bitter, De Dolle’s Arabier, and local IPAs like Smuttynose, the Jack D’Or starts off with North American Pils, Vienna, Wheat and Malted Oats (among others) and is hopped with a combination of four hops, finishing with Palisade and Nugget. The bitterness is the real backbone of the Jack D’Or. It’s a proper “plant-like” bitterness with all of its jagged edges, beginning deep in the soil, then to the stem of this beer and up into to the very tippity heights. Fermentation-wise we use a blend of four yeast strains to give Jack D’Or its refreshingly dry character. Finally, despite all of the spicy flavours in this beer it contains no actual spices – only malt, oats, rye, sugar, hops and yeast. One more time: there are no spices or citrus in Jack D’Or. Wheat lends acidity at Jack’s edges, then rye and our blended yeast character come into play for a bit of polyphony, displeasing the notion of “balance” and creating the fire in the belly of Jack D’Or!

The creature on the label is Jack D’Or himself, conceived and drawn by Dann. Far away in a small clearing in the woods of New England, ankle deep in the mash tun, he contemplates and conjures himself into a batch of beer. For those of you who are new to this, Jack is a grain of malted barley, but more than that: he is the unifying force behind all of the Pretty Things. Jack D’Or Must Die!

A - Beautiful translucent golden beer with a good amount of head - the bartender had to dump an unfortunate amount to make sure the glass was filled properly. The head retained for a little while, but ultimately reduced to a film, which was maintained by the active carbonation. Mild lacing on the glass, which was a very nice goblet/large wine glass.

T - Follows the nose. A little stronger on the spiciness than I would typically like. Very tasty though.

M - My first few sips are a little harsh, but the beer eventually mellows into what is probably closer to the brewers intent. Regardless, it is still either a little fizzier or a little flatter than I would look for from this style.

O - I very much enjoyed this beer and would certainly have another. Although for the price there are other beers out there that I would enjoy a bit more. A bit too much spice and the mouthfeel was not quite there for me.

Poured from a bottle into a Bell's tulip. The beer looks nearly perfect. It's extremely hazy, gold in color, and sports a perfectly formed fine white head with good retention and excellent lacing. I'm salivating just looking at it. On the nose I'm getting some nice floral notes that are matched by a fruity sweetness reminiscent of apple juice. There's no mistaking this for an IPA, but it doesn't smell like a lot of Saisons. It's pleasant and earthy without being disagreeable.

The beer has a medium body and lots of flavor for this style. There's a real syrupy, marmalade-like sweetness up front. It is met by an herbal hop character that does not even toe the line into bitterness. I detect no tartness at all. What little there is seems to be masked by the fruity sweetness and earthy spiciness. A dry finish leaves a lingering, grassy, herbal flavor behind.

Overall, a really nice Saison, but it lacks complexity and the combination of sweet marmalade and floral hops doesn't seem to work well for my palate. I prefer more tartness. The hop character, however, is on the money. It is not overdone and does not leave the beer smelling and tasting like a mouthful of flowers. It's a very nice, drinkable Saison that unfortunately fails to land a spot on the list of beers in this style I'll seek again.

I am a bit surprised at the really high rankings for this one. As Farmhouses go, it's not nearly in my top bracket. Medium carbonation and golden color but very little in the nose or taste without much depth. Crisp and a bit on the too dry side for me. Maybe some citrus hints but was lacking overall character.

Smooth taste, with a nice feel and kick. Little afterbite, but still mellow. I highly recommend it! They feature this beer at the Miler's ale house in Watertown. Great atmosphere and great food to compliment the beer! Try it with the Zingers! Awesome combination!!!